March Madness Futures: 5 Best Bets to Win the Midwest Region

The Midwest Region certainly features no shortage of star-level talent. Cade Cunningham, the likely No. 1 pick in this year’s NBA Draft, has his Oklahoma State Cowboys here as the No. 4 seed. Top-seeded Illinois features two of the most dynamic players in America in Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn. San Diego State, Syracuse, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Houston have all put together very impressive seasons of their own.

Illinois is the betting favorite to get out of the Midwest Region at +160, but it won’t be easy. The fact that Okie State is a mere No. 4 seed goes to show how deep this region is. The Fighting Illini may be the “safest” bet of the bunch to proceed all the way to the Final Four, but we could have upsets galore in this part of the bracket. It should make for a fun viewing experience, while there is profit to be made as a bettor, as well.

Which teams are the best bets to get through the Midwest?

Illinois (+160)

It’s been a while since we’ve seen Illinois in the Big Dance. In fact, this will be the first trip for the program to the NCAA Tournament since 2012-13. That’s a shockingly long drought for a team that was a routine title contender around the turn of the century under Bill Self and Bruce Weber. Illinois may have fallen on hard times in recent years, but they’re back with a vengeance in 2021.

As mentioned, Dosunmu and Cockburn lead the way. Dosunmu, a junior guard, broke out in a big way this season. The Chicago native chipped in with 20.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists across 26 games for the Illini during the regular season. He shot a career-best 38.7 percent from three-point range and posted two triple-doubles. Ayo played a whopping 41 minutes in the Illini’s 91-88 overtime win over Ohio State in the Big Ten title game.

Illinois star player Ayo Dosunmu with a nod to Kobe after winning the Big Ten Tournament.

(via @AyoDos_11) pic.twitter.com/zcrtgpuR0y

— ESPN (@espn) March 15, 2021

Cockburn, who checks-in at 7’0″ and 285 pounds, is a horrible mismatch for most opposing frontcourts. The sophomore big man finished the year averaging 17.6 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, and he only got better as the season progressed. Cockburn will deal with the occasional foul trouble, but he did an excellent job defensively against Luke Garza in the conference semis. Garza finished with 21 points, but he shot just 8-for-21 from the field with Cockburn checking him for most of the game.

Dosunmu and Andre Curbelo have been two of the most dynamic pick-and-roll ball-handlers in the country this season. It’s just going to be very difficult for any defense to slow them down over the course of 40 minutes. The Big Ten was arguably the best conference in the country this season. Illinois wound up winning a conference that put nine teams in the tournament, which says a lot about this team’s overall quality. They’re justifiable favorites at +160, and easily the best bet to get to the Final Four.

Houston (+240)

Kelvin Sampson has dealt with no shortage of adversity over the past year, but he has his Houston Cougars as a No. 2 seed and a top-10 team in the nation heading into the tourney. Quentin Grimes thrived in his second season with Houston after transferring away from Kansas. The junior guard finished averaging a career-high 18 points per game and earned AAC Player of the Year. Many expected the Coogs’ offense to struggle with Caleb Mills having transferred away, but Grimes stepped in right away and easily replaced Mills as Houston’s most prolific offensive threat.

The Cougars’ prowess on the offensive glass means they don’t even have to shoot lights-out in order to win, which can’t be said about most other teams in the field.

Houston is an excellent team, but can they do it against stiff competition? The American Athletic Conference is far from the most daunting in the country. Houston deserves to be here thanks to a 24-3 record and a march to the AAC tournament title, but they have a grand total of one win all season against a ranked foe. That was a 64-53 triumph over Texas Tech (14th at the time) way back in November.

The Cougars are legit, but I do have questions about whether they’re truly battle-tested. I would be careful where you place them in your 2021 March Madness bracket.

Oklahoma State (+700)

Speaking of battle-tested, we don’t have to worry about that with Oklahoma State. The Cowboys fell to Texas in the Big 12 championship game, but Okie State has run the gauntlet this season. The only conference better than the Big 12 this season was the Big 10. The Pokes finished just fifth in the conference regular-season standings at 11-7, but you can argue that no team in the nation has as many impressive wins as they do.

Okie State got past Baylor in the semis of the Big 12 tourney. You know, that very same Baylor team that lost two games all year and is the top seed in the South Region? Oklahoma State has also beaten Texas Tech (twice), Texas, West Virginia (twice), Oklahoma (twice), and Kansas.

Cade Cunningham leads OSU to a huge upset win over Baylor 😤

25 PTS

8 REB

5 AST pic.twitter.com/wQCFTnOZ63

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 13, 2021

Everything begins with Cade Cunningham for this team. He plays a style well beyond his years (19), and there’s a reason he’s the top prospect in a loaded draft class. As a freshman, the Arlington native averaged 20.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game while connecting on better than 41 percent of his threes. Cunningham is the straw that stirs the Pokes’ drink, and no team has found much success trying to slow him down all year.

Given that track record, we know the Cowboys won’t be intimidated. The fact that they’re a No. 4 seed is a baffling decision, and it’s one that likely doesn’t make Illinois too happy. As a result, there’s a chance we see these teams go head-to-head in the Sweet 16. These may be the two best teams in the region, so it’s a bit unfortunate that we could see them meet so early on.

Still, I love the +700 number you can get on Oklahoma State right now. Illinois is one of the best defensive teams in the country, but they haven’t had to deal with a player like Cunningham to this point. That’ll be a fascinating matchup if we get it. If the Pokes win that one, there may be no stopping them on the way to a Final Four berth.

Tennessee (+1000)

The SEC doesn’t get nearly enough attention in basketball as it does in football, but the conference does have a few legitimate contenders. Tennessee finished fourth in the regular-season standings behind Alabama, Arkansas, and LSU, but the Volunteers gave the eventual conference champion Crimson Tide a serious run in the conference semis. The Vols wound up falling by five points with one of their best players, John Fulkerson, watching from the sidelines.

Fulkerson’s availability for the tournament remains to be seen. He was forced to undergo surgery after suffering a facial injury against Florida in the SEC tournament. The team hasn’t yet ruled him out of returning this week, but we’ll see. Rick Barnes went small with Fulkerson sidelined for the game against Alabama, with Josiah-Jordan James stepping into the starting lineup.

Tennessee doesn’t have a true point guard running the show, which contributed to their occasional offensive struggles during the regular season. This team has the potential to be a monster defensively, though. Keon Johnson, Yves Pons, and James are three of the most athletic players in the SEC, and all three are hellacious defenders. The Vols make up for their own scoring woes by making it incredibly difficult for their opponents to get easy buckets.

Teams that play with that kind of defensive grit tend to find success under the bright lights of the tournament. The Volunteers’ lack of an offensive dynamo may make things difficult if they run into big-time scorers like Dosunmu or Cunningham, but Tennessee is also one of the few teams equipped with enough quality defenders of their own to slow those guys down.

The odds are long at +1000, but there is upside here. The Vols could be a bit undervalued, especially if Fulkerson is able to give it a go.

Loyola-Chicago (+1400)

We’re just three years removed from Loyola-Chicago mounting one of the most memorable Cinderella runs in recent tournament history. The Ramblers are at it again after going 24-4 during the regular season and coasting to both the regular-season and tournament titles in the Missouri Valley Conference. MVC competition certainly leaves plenty to be desired, but we know what this team can do on the big stage.

You certainly didn’t have Loyola-Chicago advancing to the Final Four in 2018, but that’s exactly what transpired. Their lovable unofficial mascot, Sister Jean, is back and better than ever. Sister Jean is fully vaccinated and reportedly set to join the team in Indiana at the ripe age of 101. This team beat Miami, Tennessee, Nevada, and Kansas State before falling to Michigan in the Final Four three years ago.

Sister Jean is going to Indy 🙏

Loyola’s 101-year-old superfan will make the trip to watch the Ramblers in the men’s NCAA tournament, per @chicagotribune pic.twitter.com/cg8sbnK1IJ

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 16, 2021

Cameron Krutwig was one of the team’s stars back then, and he’s still here. Now a senior, the big man averaged 15 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.0 assists while blocking over one shot per game during the regular season. Loyola-Chicago were dealt a rough hand with a No. 8 seed here. The team enters the tournament having won 17 of their last 18 games. Krutwig is an inside-out matchup nightmare for his opponents, and this is a well-coached outfit.

Can they pull a rabbit out of a hat again? Playing in the stacked Midwest Region makes the Ramblers a tough bet to trust, but you’re getting solid bang for your buck here in the +1400 odds at basketball betting sites.